The aim of this joint project between the CiS Research Institute and fzmb GmbH (Research Center for Medical Technology and Biotechnology) is the early and reliable diagnosis of equine asthma and the monitoring of therapeutic measures that have been initiated. Equine asthma is a widespread, chronic respiratory inflammation in horses, triggered mainly by dust, mold spores, and allergens in the environment. This condition can severely impair both animal welfare and performance.
Early diagnosis is essential in order to take timely therapeutic action and prevent the disease from progressing to a chronic stage and ultimately leading to structural changes in the lung tissue. Until now, diagnosis has only been possible using complex laboratory tests, some of which require invasive procedures such as bronchoscopy.
The newly approved research project pursues a completely new approach that will enable on-site diagnosis. For the first time, exhaled air will be used as an analyte. The device solution to be developed for this purpose uses an NDIR sensor to perform optical transmission measurements in order to detect and quantify pathologically relevant gases. This includes the development of an adaptable horse mask that enables contamination-free sampling of exhaled air. Nitric oxide serves as the central biomarker here.
A scalable, efficient, and non-invasive respiratory analysis system combined with modern data evaluation creates a future-proof infrastructure that responds quickly and flexibly to new requirements. If successful, the non-invasive method offers many advantages for the animals: no anesthesia, possibly even without sedation, and easy to use on site.
The research and development work described was funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) as part of the research project “Veterinary in-situ Breath Gas Analysis System” (VISGAS).
Funding code: 49MF250079
